Listen
by Matilda384
Summary: Sometimes children do know when something's not right. Maybe things could change if they were listened to.


**This is completely a one-shot. I wrote it kind of a long time ago, so I'm not too sure how much I like it. Oh well. I hope you do!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Haunting in Connecticut.**

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Rosalyn Aickman brushed a dishrag over a plate soaking in soapy water. She thought quietly to herself as she cleaned up the breakfast plates from herself and her husband. She suddenly felt a familiar sharp pain in her chest, which made her cough. She put the plate and dishrag down to cough into her arm. After catching her breath, she wiped her face on her sleeve and went back to cleaning up. _It's getting worse, _she thought, _I wonder if I should go to the doctor again. But we don't have enough money for me to keep going back there. We need the money for more important things-like my baby boy. I'll just have to tough it out._ She put the plate down and picked up a fork. Rosalyn scrubbed that too until it was spotless. She loved her family, but also enjoyed spending time alone to think. Being a bright woman, she valued her time and spent it wisely.

After a few minutes, little footsteps pattered down the stairs. They ran into the dining room and stopped in the kitchen doorway. "Mama!" a small voice called out. Rosalyn turned around. A tiny pale-faced boy stood with his arms open wide for her. She wiped her hands on her apron. "Jonah, sweetheart." she cooed. She lifted him up off of his feet and carried him into the dining room. They sat on a chair. Rosalyn snuggled Jonah in her arms. "Good morning, darling. How did you sleep last night?"

"Good, Mama. I didn't wake up at all!" the little boy answered.

"I'm glad to hear that, baby. Are you hungry? I made your favorite-pancakes."

"Mama! Really? Thank you so much, Mama. I love you!"

Rosalyn gave her son one more kiss and then helped him off of her lap. He sat at the dining table hungrily. Rosalyn went into the kitchen and filled a plate with Jonah's favorite breakfast. She drenched the pancakes in gooey maple syrup and butter. Jonah's face lit up when she set the plate before him. "Mmmm…!" he exclaimed as he licked his lips. Rosalyn sat down across from him. He picked up his fork and dug into his pancakes. Rosalyn smiled as he ate his breakfast gleefully. Nothing made her happier than to see her little boy so joyful.

Just as Jonah was finishing his breakfast, footsteps could be heard coming up the stairs from the basement. Jonah dropped his fork to his plate. He jumped out of his chair. "Papa!" he cried. Ramsey entered the dining room and greeted his smiling son. Jonah jumped into his arms. He gave him an excited big hug. "Jonah," Ramsey said as he hugged his son back. "You'd think I'd been gone for days!" Rosalyn smiled, but was attacked by another pain and coughing fit. Ramsey immediately put Jonah down and went to his wife's side. After the coughing wouldn't relent, Jonah felt sad for his mother. He attempted to crawl onto her lap to make her feel better. Ramsey pushed him away. "Not now, Jonah!" he barked. Rosalyn shook her head as she coughed. She opened her arms to Jonah. He climbed onto her lap and hugged his arms around her neck. Ramsey rubbed her back so she'd be able to breathe easier. Jonah snuggled up quietly in hopes that his company would make her feel better.

After several minutes, Rosalyn's cough subsided to only wheezing. She held Jonah in her frail arms and fingered the tips of his hair. Jonah kept his ear pressed against her chest. "Mama, your chest sounds different." he stated. Ramsey gave him a sharp tug on the hair. "Shut up, Jonah." he hissed. Jonah didn't speak. Rosalyn would've scolded her husband for hurting him, but she felt too weak and knew he only did it because he was tense.

Rosalyn leaned onto Ramsey's shoulder as he crouched by her chair. She held Jonah close to her. A swift tiredness swept across her. She let out one more cough. Ramsey helped Jonah off of her lap. He picked his wife up and carried her upstairs to their room. Jonah followed close behind, constantly trying to get a glance at his mother. Rosalyn held onto Ramsey's chest.

They made it up the stairs and into the bedroom. Ramsey pulled back the blankets on their bed. He laid Rosalyn down gently with her head on a pillow. After tucking her in and smoothing the covers over her, he leaned down and kissed her cheek. Rosalyn tried to smile. "Now get some rest, darling." Ramsey instructed. "I'll be working downstairs. Jonah will be up in his room playing, right Jonah?" The little boy nodded. "Yes Papa," he agreed. Ramsey patted his head. He sent Jonah out of the room. After the boy was gone, Ramsey sat down on the bed. "Do you want to go to the doctor's again?" he asked softly. Rosalyn shook her head. "T-They're just going to tell me to wait it out-it's just a cough. And besides, going to the doctor is expensive. We need all the money we have."  
"But if you need medicine-"  
"We need it for Jonah."

"What does _he_ have to do with _your_ sickness?"  
"I don't want to not be able to feed him one night just because I had to go to the doctor."  
"We'll be fine with the money. Besides, Jonah's just a boy. If he skips breakfast every now and then, we'll be able to afford it."  
"He's a growing child and he needs to eat something. Plus as he's growing, he'll need better fitting clothes. He's not getting pushed out of the financial equation simply because I have a cough. I'm not going. I'm fine."

Ramsey sighed. He dropped his head into his hands. "Just please don't stop living for that boy." he murmured. Rosalyn sighed too. "I know you may not like him all the time. But he's your baby. And he loves you more than anything in the whole world." she explained. Ramsey looked at her. Her half-smiling face was drawn and pale. She put her hand over his. "I love you," she whispered. He kissed her forehead. "I love you too." he returned. Ramsey stood up and walked out of the room. He closed the door quietly.

As he passed by Jonah's room, he couldn't help but crack open the door a tiny bit to look inside. He saw Jonah kneeling in front of his little bed, hands folded in prayer, head bent down. Ramsey stuck his head in to listen to the soft murmuring. "Please make her better, God. I love her so much. Please don't take her away. Papa will be so sad. Sometimes I think he doesn't like me. Sometimes I think that she's the only thing that makes him happy. If all he has left is me, then…then he'll be sad forever. Just please keep her here…for all of us." Jonah said quietly. His voice sounded choked-like he was crying. Ramsey opened the door and cleared his throat. Jonah jumped a little, and whirled around. "Papa!" he cried. He stood up and wiped his face on his sleeve. "I-I…I-I was just-"

"It's all right, Jonah." Ramsey cut off. He went in and sat on Jonah's bed. Jonah crawled up and tried to squirm onto his lap. Ramsey held him there, tucked into his chest, quietly sniffling. Jonah blinked his eyes and took a deep breath. Ramsey stroked his hair gently. "Jonah," he said quietly. "It's not that I don't love you. Sometimes raising a child can just be…difficult. And I'm worried about your mother. When I snap, it's not necessarily your fault. Do you understand what I'm trying to-"

"I love you too, Papa." Jonah cut in. Ramsey breathed a sigh of relief. At least he understood.

Jonah sat on his father's lap for a few more minutes of silence. Then he decided to speak. "Papa, I think Mama should go to the doctor's office." he said. Ramsey sighed. "It's expensive, Jonah. We can't afford it."

"But what if something happens to her?"

"Nothing will, Jonah. Just leave the matter to adults."

Jonah went back to playing in his room and Ramsey worked in the basement. For several hours, everyone stayed apart. But Jonah would occasionally peek into his mother's bedroom throughout the day, just so that his anxiety would be relieved temporarily. Once, he told his mother the same thing-that she should see a doctor. She tried to smile, and offered a simple explanation. "We can't go to the doctor _and_ have dinner every night, sweetie. This is just a cough. It'll go away by itself."

"But what if something happens to you?" he asked back.

"I'll tell you what-if it gets really _really_ bad, then I'll go to the doctor. But right now…I'm just okay, honey. Don't worry about me."  
"But I _do_ worry about you."

"You don't have to. You're just a child."

Late that night, after everyone had gone to bed, Rosalyn heard the door creak open softly. She opened her eyes and felt that Ramsey was sleeping soundly beside her. Just as quickly as the door opened, it shut. She coughed a few times, then sat up and looked around in the darkness. A soft pattering sound rang through the master bedroom. She reached in fear for Ramsey. Just as she was about to shake him awake, she felt something touch her knee. She gasped.

A pair of big blue eyes gleamed in the moonlight. Rosalyn put a hand over her heart. "Jonah," she whispered. "You scared me, honey."

"I'm sorry, Mama." Jonah answered. He looked down for a moment. "Mama? Can I sleep here tonight?" he asked. Rosalyn nodded. She made room for her son to climb onto the mattress. He snuggled in close to her. After only a few moments of silence, she asked, "Are you afraid of something?" He stayed still, then nodded slightly. She asked what he was afraid of. His response shocked her. "I'm just so afraid that you're going to die."

It's strange how children can sense some things that adults can't. Jonah, only seven years old, could tell that something wasn't right with his mother's cough. Only a few weeks after that night, Rosalyn died of pneumonia in the hospital. Jonah attended her funeral with Ramsey. During the ceremony, he asked his father why it happened so soon. Still grieving and feeling irrepressible anger and fear, Ramsey told Jonah that it was because of him. She would've gone to the hospital sooner if she didn't have to worry about caring for him. Something died within Jonah that day. He knew that his mother was the only one that would probably ever love him. She was gone. His only hope was Ramsey; and only a few days after she'd died, Ramsey told him that it was he who killed his princess. Yes, it's funny how children can sense things that adults can't. So why aren't they listened to? Well, that's because they're only children.


End file.
